Book covers



March 22, 1966 G. M. PADDAcK BOOK COVERS Filed Oct. 19, 1962 UnitedStates Patent Oiitice 3,241,863 Patented Mar. 22, 1966 3,241,863 B001(COVERS George M. Paddack, 3838 Woodley Road NW., Washington, DAC. FiledOct. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 233,181 1 Claim. (Cl. 281-29) The presentinvention is an improvement on certain features of the book coverdisclosed in my co-pending patent application, Serial Number 16,355,filed March 21, 1960 (now Patent No. 3,059,946) of which the presentapplication is a continuation-impart. The said patent issued October 23,1963. That disclosure relates to a book cover, especially forpaperbacks, comprising a pair of cover members slidably receiving thefront and back cover, respectively, of the book to be covered, and anadhesive connection strip extending along and engaging the back edge orspine of the book and have its lateral portions folded onto and engagingthe adjacent hinge portions of the original book covers and the adjacentouter face parts of the positioned cover members.

For providing the name of author and the title of the covered book, myearlier patent application disclosed a narrow tab or strip adhesivelysecured centrally and longitudinally of the outer face of the positionedconnection strip, along the spine of the book.

The present invention provides for the use of a connection strip,preferably of the pressure-sensitive type having a removable shield,sheet or covering means over its adhesive face, prior to application ofthe strip. It will be understood that the book cover members of theinvention, as well as the connection strip, are normally colored, as isusually the case with regularly-bound books. The present connectionstrip, when so colored, is provided with a central relatively narrowuncolored space extending longitudinally of the outer face of the strip.Prior to removal of the adhesive-covering shield or sheet, theconnection strip may be placed in a typewriter or may otherwise beimprinted or written upon for supplying the name of the author and ofthe book. Thereafter, the covering shield or sheet is stripped off andthe connection strip applied to the covered book.

If an uncolored or white connection strip is used the name and titlespace may, of course, be defined by a pair of parallel lines.

Another useful function of the present invention is the providing, bymeans of the said longitudinally-extending space or area on theconnection strip, of a guide line whereby, upon application of theconnection strip to the spine of the book, the latter may be aligned andapplied to the former in parallel and aligned relationship.

The details of the invention will be more fully described below inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which FIG. 1 is aperspective view of a book provided with the cover and connection stripof the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view, partly broken away, of an open book provided withthe means of this invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional View on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a connection strip of this invention in processof application to the spine of a book.

In greater detail, and with reference to the drawings, the book cover ofthis invention is adapted for application to a paperback book 1i). Thelatter, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, comprises front and rear cover members11 and 12 joined by a back edge 13.

The book cover as shown comprises a front and a back board 14 and 15,-slightly longer than the original front and back covers of the book andpreferably somewhat less in width. The front and back board may be ofcardboard or other suitable material. Each board is overlaid on one faceby an adhering covering material 16 and 17, respectively, folded overthe front, the top and the bottom edges of the board, as at 18, 19 and20. These folded-over parts are adhesively secured to the adjacentportions of inner cover boards or sheets, 21 and 22, overlying the innerfaces, respectively, of the front and back boards 14 and 15, and formingtherewith a pocket or envelope for slidably receiving the front and backcovers of the book. The inner cover sheets 21 and 22 may be lighter andmore flexible than their associated front and back boards and of asomewhat greater width, so as to project therebeyond as at 23 (FIGS. 2and 3) and cover the adjacent part of the underlying book covers, 11 and12, respectively. The top and bottom corners of these projecting partsof cover sheets 21 and 22 may be rounded as at 24 (FIG. 2).

The front marginal portion of the inner cover sheets 21 and 22 may beturned inwardly as at 25 (FIG. 3) to form a contact for the forward edgeof the paperback covers 11 and 12 when these are inserted into theirrespective pockets. In this way, the book cover of this invention hasits front edges extending forwardly of the book pages (see FIG. 1), forthe protection of the latter, as is the case with regularly bound books.This expedient is useful since paperbacks are almost universally madewith their covers flush with the front edges of the pages.

The cover is completed by a iiexible connection strip 26 preferably ofsynthetic material of the pressure sensitive type provided on one facewith an adhesive coating covered, prior to use, with a removable papercover or shield. Connection strip 26 which is usually colored, isaccording to this invention, provided with a narrow uncolored :space 27extending centrally and longitudinally thereof.

Prior to application of the connection strip, as explained below, thestrip, still carrying its paper shield, is placed in a typewriter andthe name of the author and of the book to be covered imprinted in thespace 27, as at 28, FIG. 1. Obviously the name and title may behandwritten or otherwise applied, if desired. If the connection strip isclear or white, the space 27 may be defined by a pair of parallel lines.

The connection strip is now ready for application. Its adhesive-coveringpaper shield is removed and the connection strip is adhesively secured,by its central longitudinal portions to the back edge or spine of thebook. The next adjacent parts of the strip are then folded over onto thehinge portions of the original covers of the paperback, as at 29, thatis, along the narrow areas adjacent the spine of the book. Finally, theouter lateral portions of the connection strip are pressed on andsecured, as at 3i) and 31, to the adjacent outer face parts of thepositioned cover members.

In the positioning of the connection strip, as just described, it isessential, for the good appearance of the book, that the strip beapplied in parallel aligned relation with the spine of the book. Thismay be accomplished, as illustrated in FIG. 4, by holding the strip,just prior to application, close above the spine of the book 1li thebook being closed and suitably supported upright of its front edges. Bya slight up-and-down or longitudinal movement of the connection strip,as suggested by the dotted lines at 32-33, the end portions of thenarrow space or line 27 may be aligned instantly with the mid points ofthe book spine, at the ends of the latter. The connection strip is thenfurther attached as already described.

Paperbacks may thus be provided with permanent covers having theattractive and uniform appearance of regularly-bound books, in a minimumof time and at a minimum of cost.

What is claimed is:

A cover for a paperback book and comprising a pair of cover members inenvelope form receiving the original front and back covers, respectivelyof the book, each cover member comprising an outer element overlying theouter face of the related book cover of the paperback, and an innerelement overlying the inner face of said book cover of the paperback,said outer elements in position extending short of the back edge of thebook leaving exposed areas of the outer faces of the original book coveralong said back edge of the book, a flexible adhesive connection stripattached along its central longitudinal portion to the back edge of thebook, and its lateral portions attached, respectively, to said exposedareas of the outer faces of the original book cover and to the adjacentouter face parts of said outer elements of the cover members, and apositioning guide formed References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATESPATENTS 2,139,377 12/1934 Mull et al 283-21 X 3,059,946 10/1962 Paddock281--29 3,118,689 1/1964 Jones 281-36 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, PrimaryExaminer.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, JEROME SCHNALL,

Examiners.

